FRIDAY See some world premiere theater at NKU’s Y.E.S. FESTIVAL Every two years Northern Kentucky University’s Department of Theatre and Dance offers audiences several theatrical adventures when it presents the world premieres of three plays. This year’s 17th biennial “Year End Series” productions are Joe Starzyk’s antic murder mystery and love story, It’s a Grand Night for Murder; David L. Williams’ The Divine Visitor, a tale of a ghostly Casanova inspired by British comedies from the 17th century; and Colin Speer Crowley’s Encore, Encore, a portrait of acerbic wisecracker and drama critic Dorothy Parker. Since 1983, NKU has undertaken this ambitious program, debuting more that 50 new works. Through April 26. $11-$14. Northern Kentucky University, Corbett Theatre/Rose Stauss Theatre, Fine Arts Center, Nunn Drive, Highland Heights, Ky., 859-572-5464, theatre.nku.edu.
Check out an EP release for COCONUT MILK Local Indie Pop/Rock quintet Coconut Milk hosts a free release party in honor of its second EP, We’re Sorry, Friday at Northside Tavern. The band will be joined by fellow Cincinnati band Founding Fathers, as well as Columbus, Ohio’s Fine Animal and Dayton, Ohio’s Forage. On its Facebook page, Coconut Milk describes its sound as “Beach Rock,” which is one of the more precise self-descriptions by a band you’ll ever see. Like the best oceanfront-linked music (going back to The Beach Boys, but think more “Warmth of the Sun” than “Surfin’ USA”), there is a compelling blend of airy contentment and wistful melancholy to Coconut Milk’s sound. If Belle and Sebastian and Nada Surf went on a writing retreat to some small beach town on the West Coast, they’d probably come up with something similar to what Coconut Milk lays down on We’re Sorry. Free. Northside Tavern, 4163 Hamilton Ave., Northside, northsidetav.com.
Laugh with MARK NORMAND Mark Normand may become your favorite new comedian. “I was incredibly hungover today,” he tells an audience. “Had another beer. Hangover went away. Isn’t that the amazing thing about booze? The thing that causes the problem is also the solution. I wish other problems were like that. You have sex with a girl, she gets pregnant, have sex with her again, no more baby. Then you’re guaranteed to get laid at least twice.” The New Orleans native, now based in New York City, has appeared on Conan, Showtime’s Live at SXSW, Inside Amy Schumer, Last Comic Standing and the hit Chris Hardwick game show @Midnight. Showtimes Thursday-Sunday. $8-$14. Go Bananas, 8410 Market Place Lane, Montgomery, gobananascomedy.com.
Take a jolly romp through the TAMING OF THE SHREW If you’ve ever seen The Taming of the Shrew, you might remember it as the tale of an ill-tempered woman brought into line by an abusive, gold-digging suitor. In that simple summary, Shakespeare’s early comedy understandably doesn’t sit well with most modern audiences. But contemporary presenters of the show have a variety options to make it more palatable. In its current staging at Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, guest director Kevin Hammond has utilized more than one of them. Framed in this way, the story of the combative courtship feels more like a funny skit than a real recommendation for a happy marriage. In fact, Petruchio invites anyone in the audience who “knows better how to tame a shrew, now let him speak.” Nick Rose, a delight to watch in this rambunctious role, delivers the line straight to the audience and waits for a response. mond, the artistic director of Humber River Shakespeare in Toronto, uses 15 members of Cincinnati Shakespeare’s company to their full comedic potential. The Taming of the Shrew, presented by Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, continues through April 25. Read a review here.
Prep for Earth Day by checking out the recycled sculptures at ECOSCULPT In celebration of Earth Day, recyclables meet innovation during this three-week installation. Produced by 3CDC, EcoSculpt gives artists a chance to design and display large-scale, eco-friendly sculptures using recycled and recyclable materials in Washington Park. Judges will choose first-, second- and third-prize winners based on concept, execution and construction. All art is displayed during park hours. Awards ceremony 5 p.m. April 22 (Earth Day). Free. Washington Park, 1230 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine, washingtonpark.org.
Belle Histoire’s JANE DECKER celebrates an album release at Rohs Street Cincinnati Indie Pop artist Jane Decker, who found some national acclaim with her former band Belle Histoire and with an appearance on the popular singing competition TV show The Voice, recently had her new single/video “Stonewallin’ ” premiered internationally on yahoo.com. This Friday, Decker will be celebrating the release of her new three-track EP of the same name with a performance at Rohs Street Café. Decker joins local up-and-coming AltRock band Harbour for its first headlining show, which also features Columbus, Ohio’s Indigo Wild. The all-ages show starts at 9 p.m. Tickets are $8 in advance (through cincyticket.com) or $10 day of show. More information on Decker can be found at jane-decker.com. 245 W McMillan St., Clifton Heights, rohsstreetcafe.com. SATURDAY
Get a couple brews on the BARON BREW BUS TOUR American Legacy Tours’ Barons Brew Bus returns for your drinking pleasure. The four-hour tour visits five Greater Cincinnati breweries: Christian Moerlein, Braxton Brewing Company, Rhinegeist, Hofbrauhaus and the new Taft’s Ale House (which recently opened on Race Street). As the tour guide entertains you with tales of Cincinnati’s brewing history, you will retain less and less after tasting more than 14 different beers. The party starts at Taft’s, with a bottle of water and soft pretzel sticks. Noon Saturdays. $65. Taft’s Ale House, 1429 Race St., Over-The-Rhine, americanlegacytours.com.
Go green at the CINCINNATI EARTH DAY celebration This annual Earth Day bash features a drum circle from the Miami Valley Council for Native Americans, a kid’s zones, live music, recycled costume contest, lecture series, parade with mascots, an animal showcase and more. Lecture topics include Red Bike, the streetcar and benefits of hemp. World Peace Yoga will be offering free yoga classes during the event at 1 and 3 p.m. Rain or shine. Noon-5 p.m. Free. Sawyer Point, 700 E. Pete Rose Way, Downtown, cincinnatiearthday.com.
Buy some blossom-scented soap at the ASIAN CULTURE FEST The Cincinnati Museum Center is whisking you abroad to the Far East, where you’ll explore the rich histories, arts, culture and traditions of China, India, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam and Nepal at Cincinnati’s one-day Asian Culture Fest. Peruse the Asian marketplace, where you can shop for authentic Asian-themed merchandise, including Japanese blossom-scented soaps and artisan glass bonsai trees. Cultural activities and performances include a Henna-adorned candle workshop, Taiwanese Lion Dance, Shadow Puppet Theater, traditional Japanese drum performances and much more. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday. Activities in the Rotunda and surrounding areas are free. 1301 Western Ave., Queensgate, cincymuseum.org.
Hug a puppy at the BOONE COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER BABY SHOWER Along with the many colors spring brings are the many new animal babies brought into the world and in need of a home. Around this time of year the Boone County Animal Shelter sees a sharp increase in animal intake, so they’re hosting a spring “baby shower” to raise donations for kitten and puppy food, potty pads, milk replacement and other items. Of course, there will also be a host of adorable adoptable kittens and puppies looking for a forever family during the shower. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday. Free. 5643 Idlewild Road, Burlington, Ky., 859-586-5285, bountycountyshelter.org.
Check out exclusives at RECORD STORE DAY International Record Store Day is this Saturday and pretty much every independent record store in the area will be participating, offering RSD’s exclusive, limited-edition releases from hundreds of artists and other fun throughout the day. Many of those local stores will also be carrying a unique local exclusive, Bootleggers & Hustlers Volume One, a vinyl compilation album put together by Chris Breeden (manager of legendary local bar Arnold’s) and local graphic designer Keith Neltner of Neltner Small Batch (neltnersmallbatch.com). Limited to just 300 signed and numbered copies, the album features tracks by local (mostly Roots/Americana) artists who have performed at Arnold’s over the years: Cincinnati Dancing Pigs, The Part-Time Gentlemen, Jake Speed and the Freddies, The Tillers, The Kentucky Struts, River City Roustabout, The Goodle Boys, Buffalo Wabs and the Price Hill Hustle and The Sundresses (St. Louis band ClusterPluck also contributes a track). So get out there Saturday and support both local independent businesses and local music. More info and venus here.
Enjoy some blooms at the CINCINNATI FLOWER SHOW The Cincinnati Horticultural Society presents the 2015 Cincinnati Flower Show. See beautiful floral and garden displays created by the region’s most talented professional and amateur landscapers and designers. The show also includes lectures from the Cincinnati Zoo staff, dramatic table setting displays, container gardens, a marketplace, picnics in the park and more. Through Sunday. $20; special events ticketed separately. Yeatman’s Cove, Sawyer Point, 700 E. Pete Rose Way, Downtown, cincinnatihorticulturalsociety.com.
Watch the season premiere of ORPHAN BLACK The phrase “best TV show you’re not watching” is overused, but Orphan Black is one of the few shows that’s definitely deserving of the title. The BBC America drama follows Sarah Manning, a British single mom living in Toronto. Shaken by witnessing the suicide of a woman who looks exactly like her, Sarah discovers she was conceived as an experiment and is actually one of many clones. The concept is undeniably intriguing — what would you do if you discovered there was another you (let alone several)? The sci-fi concept might draw you in, but it’s Tatiana Maslany’s performance as a dozen different clones that keeps audiences coming back for more. If you aren’t caught up for the new third season, IFC will run an Orphan Black marathon starting at midnight Friday night with all episodes airing up until the season three premiere Saturday. Clear some space in the DVR! Orphan Black Season Premiere, 9 p.m. Saturday, AMC/BBC America/IFC/Sundance/WE.
Mix Folk and Classical with CONSTELLA LATE WITH HAPPY MALADIES Local quartet the Happy Maladies will be performing a late-night set as part of the Constella Festival at Ivy Lounge (formerly Obscura). The band — which brings together violin, guitar, mandolin, double bass and vocals — will play two short sets, showcasing new works and original music. The first set at 9 p.m. will feature selections from their most recent project, Must Love Cats, an album of commissioned compositions from American composers. The second set will feature music from their unreleased full-length. 9 p.m. $15 at the door; includes one drink. 645 Walnut St., Downtown, constellafestival.org.
Support NKY Hates Heroin at JOHN AULABAUGH’s album release show Alt Country/Roots Rock singer-songwriter John Aulabaugh is the dictionary definition of a musical late bloomer. Though he says he’d never written (let alone recorded) a song until he was 50, the Washington D.C.-based Aulabaugh released an incredibly accomplished debut album this year, Of Sins Present and Past, which sounds like the work of a veteran artist. Beautifully arranged and produced, Aulabaugh writes soulfully on his debut about the people he’s encountered in his life, with many songs dealing with the topic of substance abuse’s ravages. As such, Aulabaugh’s album release show in Covington this weekend will serve as a benefit for the treatment programs of Northern Kentucky’s Transitions, Inc. The NKY Hates Heroin organization is also an official sponsor. 9 p.m. Saturday. $10; $15 day of. Madison Theater, 730 Madison Ave., Covington, Ky., madisontheateronline.com.
Listen to the songs of women at HERE AND NOW with MUSE, Cincinnati Women’s Choir Rachel DeVore Fogarty, Gwyneth Walker, Sarah Hopkins and Elizabeth Alexander are acclaimed composers whose music you may have never heard. MUSE, Cincinnati’s Women’s Choir, provides an opportunity to do so Saturday with two concerts titled Here and Aware, featuring the music of female composers at Saint Francis Seraph Church in Over-the-Rhine. The concert’s opener puts it right out there with Dianne Reeves’ “Endangered Species,” a defiant chant about a woman’s place in the world, followed by “Let Us Now Hold Hands,” a piece MUSE commissioned in 1995 from Dr. Jennifer Stasack with a text by Cincinnati poet Pat Mora. Another powerful piece is Elizabeth Alexander’s “Reasons for the Perpetuation of Slavery,” a three-part meditation on human complicity in “the price of keeping the prices low.” MUSE presents Here and Aware at 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday at Saint Francis Seraph Church in Over-the-Rhine. Tickets: musechoir.org.
SUNDAY
Hang out with the INDIGO GIRLS and the CINCINNATI POPS This one-night-only Cincinnati Pops concert features the Grammy-winning Folk duo, The Indigo Girls. The girls — Amy Ray and Emily Saliers — will be performing their chart toppers, like “Closer,” “Galileo” and “Power of Two,” backed by the Pops. 6 p.m. doors. $20-$85. Music Hall, 1241 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine, cincinnatisymphony.org.
Meet new Asian otters at CANYON FALLS AT THE NEWPORT AQUARIUM Canyon Falls at the Newport Aquarium is the new home of some unique species of otters and reptiles, including two Asian small-clawed otters, the smallest and most social otter species in the world. You’ll also find a yellow monitor lizard and colorful panther chameleons from Madagascar. Say hello to Thunder, a more than 100-year-old snapping turtle, and spend some time at the Turtle Corral. Additionally, aquarium staff will host interactive otter talks focusing on survival adaptations and how humans impact the environment of otters. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. daily. $23 adults; $15 children; free for children under 2. Newport Aquarium, 1 Aquarium Way, Newport, Ky., newportaquarium.com.
Buy some vintage stuff at the BURLINGTON ANTIQUE MALL The Midwest’s premier antiques and vintage collectibles-only show is back, with 200 vendors spread over the Boone County Fairgrounds offering vintage jewelry, memorabilia and Midcentury Modern, as well as some wonderfully awful kitsch. It’s so good the History Channel’s American Pickers chose the fair as the location to film their spinoff, Top Collectors. 8 a.m.-3 p.m. third Sundays. Through October. $3. 5819 Idlewild Road, Burlington, Ky., burlingtonantiqueshow.com.
Build machines at the OXFORD KINETICS FESTIVAL This celebration of all things kinetic — that is, relating to energy in motion — takes over Millet Hall in Oxford, Ohio. The family-friendly event is themed “Flight of the Flyer.” Build your own moving contraption and then race it in either a bike-based “scramble” course (open to 18 and younger and families) or an alley-cat race for adults on human-powered machines. The fest also includes live music, a film festival and more. Noon-5 p.m. Free. Millet Hall at Miami University, 500 E. Sycamore St., Oxford, oxfordkineticsfestival.org.
See more stuff to do here.
This article appears in Apr 15-21, 2015.
